Super fun game!
It has a lot of strong points. The style is great, the visuals look really nice, and the sound effects are solid. Everything captures the retro vibe perfectly and fits the game jam theme really well.
The level design is very good. It teaches mechanics in a natural way without the need for a tutorial. For example, level 2 teaches you that you can wrap around the screen edges to the other side. The slow introduction of new enemies is excellent. It’s a simple game, but with each level something new happens, which made me want to keep discovering more.
The enemy variety is great. They look good, are well designed, and each one brings something unique to the gameplay. I really liked how enemies blink before shooting to warn the player.
Swallowing enemies and spitting them at others, and then watching enemies bounce off each other and eliminate themselves, was super satisfying.
The only downside I noticed was the control scheme. I really struggled playing with A, S, D for movement, X for shooting, and Z for jumping. I’d much prefer jump on W and shoot on Space, or jump on Space and shoot with the mouse or something similar. It felt very uncomfortable and hard on my fingers to control everything with one hand.
Overall, a super fun game that offers a lot of enjoyment and can be completed fairly quickly. An ideal game jam project!